What was your first job as a journalist?
I contributed opinion, book review, and travel article to the New Orleans Times-Picayune in the 1990s.
Have you ever used a typewriter?
Yes, too many
How is social media changing news?
At its core, journalism remains journalism
Who's your favorite fictional journalist?
Charles Dickens
What does it mean to be a journalist?
Integrity, ability to synthesize research findings, and investigating topics you love
What's the funniest news-related #hashtag you've seen?
, referring to drag racing and drag queens
How do you prefer to be pitched on stories?
Email is the best way; perhaps Instagram.
What tools and software do you use to do your job?
MacBook Air, Word, Bing, and chatGPT (subject to change)
What's your favorite social network?
Instagram
Who do you wish followed you?
Jancis Robinson
Why did you become a journalist?
I love writing and research
Did you work for your high school newspaper? If so, what did you do there?
Yes, international politics
What story are you most proud of writing or working on?
Uncovering the buried history of Bordeaux's first female wine merchant
What advice can you offer to aspiring journalists?
keep on writing and get a job copyediting for at least a few months
When's the best time to pitch you?
morning or after 8 pm
What's the best pitch you ever got?
write a guide to wine education
What's the worst pitch you ever got?
writing wine tasting notes remotely
What's your favorite drink?
Classic margarita
When you're not at a computer, where are you most likely to be?
Sleeping
Aside from your own, what's your favorite publication to read?
The Economist
What's the most common misperception about your beat?
wine is only about wineries and winemakers
